Exodus 1; Exodus 2; Exodus 3; Exodus 4; Exodus 5; Exodus 6:1

1Now these are the names of the sons of Yisra'el, who came into Mitzrayim (every man and his household came with Ya`akov):2Re'uven, Shim`on, Levi, and Yehudah,3Yissakhar, Zevulun, and Binyamin,4Dan and Naftali, Gad and Asher.5All the souls who came out of the Ya`akov's body were seventy souls, and Yosef was in Mitzrayim already.6Yosef died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.7The children of Yisra'el were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.8Now there arose a new king over Mitzrayim, who didn't know Yosef.9He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Yisra'el are more and mightier than we.10Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and escape out of the land."11Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Par`oh: Pitom and Ra`meses.12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children of Yisra'el.13The Mitzrim ruthlessly made the children of Yisra'el serve,14and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.15The king of Mitzrayim spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shifrah, and the name of the other Pu`ah,16and he said, "When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live."17But the midwives feared God, and didn't do what the king of Mitzrayim commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.18The king of Mitzrayim called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?"19The midwives said to Par`oh, "Because the Hebrew women aren't like the Mitzrian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes to them."20God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.21It happened, because the midwives feared God, that he gave them families.22Par`oh charged all his people, saying, "You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."

1A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife.2The woman conceived, and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.3When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with kofer. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank.4His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.5Par`oh's daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the basket among the reeds, and sent her handmaid to get it.6She opened it, and saw the child, and, behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."7Then his sister said to Par`oh's daughter, "Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?"8Par`oh's daughter said to her, "Go." The almah went and called the child's mother.9Par`oh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." The woman took the child, and nursed it.10The child grew, and she brought him to Par`oh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moshe, and said, "Because I drew him out of the water."11It happened in those days, when Moshe had grown up, that he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. He saw a Mitzrian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers.12He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Mitzrian, and hid him in the sand.13He went out the second day, and, behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, "Why do you strike your fellow?"14He said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Mitzrian?" Moshe was afraid, and said, "Surely this thing is known."15Now when Par`oh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moshe. But Moshe fled from the face of Par`oh, and lived in the land of Midyan, and he sat down by a well.16Now the Kohen of Midyan had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.17The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moshe stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.18When they came to Re`u'el, their father, he said, "How is it that you have returned so early today?"19They said, "A Mitzrian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock."20He said to his daughters, "Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."21Moshe was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moshe Tzipporah, his daughter.22She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land."23It happened in the course of those many days, that the king of Mitzrayim died, and the children of Yisra'el sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.24God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Avraham, with Yitzchak, and with Ya`akov.25God saw the children of Yisra'el, and God was concerned about them.

1Now Moshe was keeping the flock of Yitro, his father-in-law, the Kohen of Midyan, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God's mountain, to Horev.2The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.3Moshe said, I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.4When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, "Moshe! Moshe!" He said, "Here I am."5He said, "Don't come close. Take off your sandals from off your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground."6Moreover he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Ya`akov." Moshe hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God.7The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Mitzrayim, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.8I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Mitzrim, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Kana`ani, the Hittite, the Amori, the Perizzi, the Hivvi, and the Yevusi.9Now, behold, the cry of the children of Yisra'el has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Mitzrim oppress them.10Come now therefore, and I will send you to Par`oh, that you may bring forth my people, the children of Yisra'el, out of Mitzrayim."11Moshe said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Par`oh, and that I should bring forth the children of Yisra'el out of Mitzrayim?"12He said, "Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Mitzrayim, you shall serve God on this mountain."13Moshe said to God, "Behold, when I come to the children of Yisra'el, and tell them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you;' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?"14God said to Moshe, "I AM WHO I AM," and he said, "You shall tell the children of Yisra'el this: "I AM has sent me to you."15God said moreover to Moshe, "You shall tell the children of Yisra'el this, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Ya`akov, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.16Go, and gather the Zakenim of Yisra'el together, and tell them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, of Yitzchak, and of Ya`akov, has appeared to me, saying, "I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Mitzrayim;17and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Mitzrayim to the land of the Kana`ani, the Hittite, the Amori, the Perizzi, the Hivvi, and the Yevusi, to a land flowing with milk and honey."'18They will listen to your voice, and you shall come, you and the Zakenim of Yisra'el, to the king of Mitzrayim, and you shall tell him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD, our God.'19I know that the king of Mitzrayim won't give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand.20I will put forth my hand and strike Mitzrayim with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of it, and after that he will let you go.21I will give this people favor in the sight of the Mitzrim, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.22But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who sojourns in her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall despoil the Mitzrim.

1Moshe answered, "But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'"2The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."3He said, "Throw it on the ground." He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moshe ran away from it.4The LORD said to Moshe, "Put forth your hand, and take it by the tail." He put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.5"That they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Ya`akov, has appeared to you."6The LORD said furthermore to him, "Now put your hand inside your cloak." He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.7He said, "Put your hand inside your cloak again." He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.8"It will happen, if they will neither believe you nor listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.9It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land."10Moshe said to the LORD, "Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."11The LORD said to him, "Who made man's mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn't it I, the LORD?12Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak."13He said, "Oh, Lord, please send someone else."14The anger of the LORD was kindled against Moshe, and he said, "What about Aharon, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes forth to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.15You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.16He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.17You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs."18Moshe went and returned to Yitro his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Mitzrayim, and see whether they are still alive." Yitro said to Moshe, "Go in shalom."19The LORD said to Moshe in Midyan, "Go, return into Mitzrayim; for all the men who sought your life are dead."20Moshe took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Mitzrayim. Moshe took God's rod in his hand.21The LORD said to Moshe, "When you go back into Mitzrayim, see that you do before Par`oh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.22You shall tell Par`oh, 'Thus says the LORD, Yisra'el is my son, my firstborn,23and I have said to you, "Let my son go, that he may serve me;" and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.'"24It happened on the way at a lodging place, that the LORD met him and wanted to kill him.25Then Tzipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me."26So he let him alone. Then she said, "You are a bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.27The LORD said to Aharon, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moshe." He went, and met him on God's mountain, and kissed him.28Moshe told Aharon all the words of the LORD with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had charged him.29Moshe and Aharon went and gathered together all the Zakenim of the children of Yisra'el.30Aharon spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moshe, and did the signs in the sight of the people.31The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Yisra'el, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

1Afterward Moshe and Aharon came, and said to Par`oh, "This is what the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, says, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'"2Par`oh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should listen to his voice to let Yisra'el go? I don't know the LORD, and moreover I will not let Yisra'el go."3They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword."4The king of Mitzrayim said to them, "Why do you, Moshe and Aharon, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!"5Par`oh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens."6The same day Par`oh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,7"You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.8The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'9Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and don't let them pay any attention to lying words."10The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, This is what Par`oh says: "I will not give you straw.11Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished."12So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Mitzrayim to gather stubble for straw.13The taskmasters were urgent saying, "Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!"14The officers of the children of Yisra'el, whom Par`oh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Why haven't you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?"15Then the officers of the children of Yisra'el came and cried to Par`oh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants?16No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, 'Make brick!' and, behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people."17But he said, "You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.'18Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet shall you deliver the same number of bricks!"19The officers of the children of Yisra'el saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, "You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!"20They met Moshe and Aharon, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Par`oh:21and they said to them, "May the LORD look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Par`oh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."22Moshe returned to the LORD, and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?23For since I came to Par`oh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all."